Key actions logged
and tamper-evident.
BlueBird logs alert activations, roster changes, settings updates and administrator sign-ins in a hash-chained log for each school, which makes later edits detectable. Failed sign-in attempts and lockouts are recorded in a separate platform security log.
What gets logged
Every meaningful action across every platform (web, iOS, and Android) is captured automatically with no configuration required.
Emergency activations
Who triggered the alert, what type was selected, when the activation occurred, and which device was used.
Login & access events
Administrator sign-ins and role changes go to the school’s hash-chained log. Failed attempts, lockouts and rate-limit events go to a separate platform security log.
Roster & settings changes
Who edited which record, the before/after snapshot of every field change, and who approved imports.
Security events
Account lockouts, MFA verifications, permission denials, and any admin action that crosses a trust boundary.
Alert delivery receipts
Push notification dispatch, SMS delivery confirmations, real-time WebSocket acknowledgements, and channel fallback events.
System configuration
Tenant settings changes, integration credential updates, billing events, and any super-admin console action.
Tamper-evident by design
Logs are only useful if they can be trusted. BlueBird Alerts uses cryptographic hash chaining and immutability triggers so any change to a record is immediately detectable.
How the chain works
When an event is written, the system computes a SHA-256 hash of the record’s canonical JSON, including the hash of the previous record. That hash is stored alongside the new record.
hash: a3f8e9d2…
hash: 5e1b9c7a…
The database enforces immutability at the SQL level: BEFORE UPDATE and BEFORE DELETE triggers raise an abort error on any attempt to modify or remove a log row through the app. A scheduled archival job moves entries older than two years into an archive file, and deleting a closed school’s data removes its live audit log.
A chain verifier can scan the entire log at any time and pinpoint the exact record where any tampering occurred. This is the same principle used by cryptographic ledgers, applied to your school’s event history.
Anatomy of a log entry
Every event is structured, typed, and hash-chained. Click any highlighted field to learn what it captures and why it matters.
Click a field to explore it →
{ "timestamp": , "request_id": , "tenant_id": , : { "id": "usr_7a3b9c", "name": "Principal Morgan", "role": "building_admin" }, "action": , : { "type": "alert", "id": "alt_9f2e1c", "name": "Lockdown — Building A" }, "ip": , "user_agent": , : { "before": { "status": "inactive" }, "after": { "status": "active", "activated_by": "usr_7a3b9c" } }, : { "entry_hash": "a3f8e9d2c1b047…", "prev_hash": "7c4b2a1f9e0d83…" } }
Click any highlighted field to learn what it means and why it matters.
Retention & access control
Logs are kept long enough to matter and protected so only the right people can read them.
Two years in the live log
Audit records stay in the live log for two years by default, then move to an archive file. Districts can request extended retention for multi-year compliance requirements.
Admin-only read access
Only building and district admins can view audit logs. Standard user and staff accounts have no access to log data.
No edits or deletes in the app
Audit records can’t be edited or deleted through the app; database triggers block changes. After two years, entries are moved from the live database into an archive file. Deleting a closed school’s data removes its live audit log.
Export on request
Admins can export filtered log data to CSV for offline review, legal discovery, or submission to a district IT audit.
Standards & compliance alignment
Student records. BlueBird’s audit log records changes to student and incident records with the person and the time. It does not currently log each time a record is viewed. Districts should confirm with their own counsel how this fits their FERPA obligations.
NIST SP 800-92 (Guide to Computer Security Log Management) recommends that logs be protected from unauthorized modification and that organizations retain logs long enough for post-incident analysis. Hash chaining and immutability triggers implement this at the infrastructure level rather than relying on policy alone.
CISA K-12 Security Guidance recommends that schools maintain auditable records of access to safety-critical systems. Every emergency activation, deactivation, and acknowledgement in BlueBird Alerts is logged with full actor attribution and a tamper-evident chain.
Audit log exports are formatted for straightforward review by district IT staff, legal counsel, or third-party auditors without requiring any BlueBird tooling to interpret.
See the full security picture
Audit logs are one layer of BlueBird’s defense-in-depth approach to school safety. See how every piece works together.